Please allow me to introduce myself. I am an executive recruiter with Chrisman & Company and have been retained by Stanford University to help them identify qualified candidates for the Director of Finance position at the University. I am writing to you to solicit your assistance. To that end, I have embedded the profile that we created that describes the position and the qualifications that we are seeking. If you or one of your representatives is able to call me at 213-620-1192, I would be delighted to elaborate on our search to date. Thank you in advance for your help. The profile follows my signature. Regards, Irwin Stalk Chrisman & Company 213-620-1192 SEARCH PROFILE #4570 DIRECTOR OF FINANCE OFFICE OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER STANFORD UNIVERSITY THE CLIENT Founded in 1891, Stanford University is a research-intensive university organized into seven schools and has an enrollment of approximately 14,200 students. The University is a varied institution that provides its undergraduate students (6,600) and graduate students (7,600) with a rigorous academic curriculum. It has a professoriate (1,600) that includes Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, National Medal of Science winners and other distinguished scholars. One of the goals of the school is to attract the highest caliber faculty and graduate students. Stanford has a $7 billion endowment that ranks as one of the largest financial endowments among the colleges and other institutions of higher learning around the country. On an annual basis, a portion of interest and gains on principal from the endowment is used to fund operating expenses of the University. Most of these funds are restricted and must be used for specific purposes such as financial aid, teaching and research activities. In addition to income from the endowment; government grants and contracts, non-government grants, gifts, and student tuition provide the operating revenue to fund the $1.6 billion annual operating expenses of the University. One of the financial goals of the University is to increase the size of the endowment to (i) support a greater percentage of student scholarships with endowment income; (ii) continue to enhance the undergraduate educational programs; (iii) provide students and faculty with support for housing in the current rising real estate market; (iv) reduce the University's reliance on federal funding and (v) continue the University's commitment to research. The University has a $1.3 billion, three-year capital plan that supports the academic, research, infrastructure, housing, and athletic needs of the University. The Capital Plan is supported through a combination of gifts, current funds, and debt. The total debt position of the University has grown to $1.1 billion, with more debt needed to support the Capital Plan. The University debt maintains a triple-A rating from both Moody's and Standard and Poor's. THE POSITION The Director of Finance reports to both the VP for Business Affairs and the Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for matters pertaining to developing and executing financing strategies to support the mission of the University. This position is the primary financial policy advisor to the Vice President. It is responsible for developing and interpreting various financial models and scenarios as well as preparing analytical reports that focus on the financial issues that are most critical to the institution. Some of the major responsibilities are presented below: � Managing the finance and debt policies of the University; � Managing relationships with rating agencies and underwriters. � Analyzing cost of existing debt products and feasibility of developing new financing products; � Providing assistance to the CFO to examine a wide variety of treasury and finance matters. � Serving lead role in acquiring bond financing, public funds and other sources of funds. � Developing, analyzing and presenting financial models to support the University's intermediate and long-term financial planning, income forecasting, debt strategies, business transactions and decision making. � Managing research, analytical activities and quantitative strategies related to financial policy, payout policies, spending rules and debt policies. � Developing financial models and proformas regarding specific proposals or transactions. � Forecasting and planning overall debt capacity for the overall capital planning. � Serving as the primary interface between the capital planning and finance groups. � Often making presentations to the Board of Trustees Finance Committee with support of the CFO. THE CANDIDATE The Director of Finance will provide critical leadership to the finance operations of the University. Minimum educational requirements include a Bachelor's degree and an MBA, CFA or related advanced degree. The ideal candidate should be results-oriented and have a high level of initiative and leadership skills. He or she must convey a strong sense of self-confidence and good judgment, quickly earning the trust of the Chief Financial Officer and the Board of Trustees based on proven general knowledge of financing techniques and alternatives and University policies and practices. The abilities to articulate and support decisions and opinions, and perform and present financial analyses are essential. Well-developed oral and written communication skills are indispensable. Other characteristics that will lead to a successful candidate include the following: 1. Strong analytical skills and the ability to convey the results of analyses effectively within the organization; 2. Ability to generate broad-view strategic thinking as well as to emphasize details when necessary; 3. Patience and skill to build consensus through evaluation of financing alternatives and educating the appropriate approval bodies; 4. Well-defined interpersonal skills and the ability to both listen to the ideas of others and convey his/her own ideas both orally and in writing. 5. Confidence to create innovative solutions to business problems. 6. Strong presentation skills. 7. Initiative to analyze multiple proposals and alternatives, clarify project objectives, design work plans, and implement plans to meet objectives. 8. Ability to work across functional reporting lines and gain cooperation through influence, management and strong teamwork.
